Violet Potter and the Shredded Soul
by Theodora Snowbird
Summary: Lord Voldemort didn't rise after the Third Task. Tom Riddle did. Fourteen year old Tom Riddle, who for some reason, finally has a heart. Like Tom, Violet isn't sure what to make of it. Is she foolish to believe him? FEM!Harry x Tom Riddle
1. Violet Potter and the Shredded Soul

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.**

 _Violet Potter and the Shredded Soul_

Violet didn't know what she expected to come out of the giant cauldron. A pale demon of some sort hell bent on destroying them all. She was almost certain she was going to die.

But then a boy stepped out.

He seemed around her age and looked so familiar that Violet started shaking in her ropes. It wasn't a monster Pettigrew was summoning. It was Tom Riddle.

But it wasn't. Pettigrew was shaking almost as much as she was, but Riddle didn't seem to recognize his loyal servant. He looked… confused, like he didn't know where he was, even though his cold voice was hissing orders to Pettigrew just moments ago.

His dark eyes focused on her and flashed with anger. So he did remember. "What is the meaning of this?"

Or not. Pettigrew trembled. "M-My lord?"

Riddle stepped out of the cauldron, only to freeze when he realized he was naked. Violet looked away as Pettigrew handed him a robe with a shaking hand. "What are you talking about?" he demanded as he snatched the robe out of his hand. "What did you do to this girl?"

Violet gulped. This had to be a trap. The only question was how she was going to get out of it?

* * *

"Albus," Severus whispered as the crowd started muttering in confusion. Potter and Diggory were nowhere to be seen.

"Wait," was all the headmaster would say, thinking that his Mark was acting up again. That wasn't it at all, actually. The Mark was surprisingly numb.

No one was watching. No one important anyway. Lucius was staring, but Severus knew he was having the same problem. Almost roughly, he dragged Albus out of the Quidditch Stand. They didn't speak a word until they were nearly at that oaf Hagrid's hut.

"Look." Severus lit up the area with his wand to show Albus his left arm. Pieces of the Dark Mark were gone, like it was shredded to pieces. He couldn't help but be terrified and ridiculously hopeful at the same time. Could it be disappearing?

"Oh dear…" For once, Albus seemed speechless, but only momentarily. His blue eyes turned hard but did not lose their twinkle like they usually did when something horrible happened. "It would seem… that like Lily, Violet is incapable of pure hatred. It seems to have caused quite the problem for Voldemort."

Severus waited, but Albus's words didn't become clear until Potter returned, with the Dark Lord.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Tom pointed his wand at the man who foolishly gave it to him. There was a dull ache in his chest that wouldn't seem to go away. The last thing he remembered was finishing up his classes… on an evening in November. It wasn't nearly cold enough to be November.

"My lord," the pathetic man begged. Tom tried not to look at his bleeding stump of a hand. "Please!"

The girl in the ropes tried to use the opportunity of the man's distraction to inch her way to another boy, who was lying motionlessly on the ground. She froze when Tom pointed his wand at her. Their eyes met, and although he saw fear, he also saw an angry defiance.

Tom didn't move his wand. "Explain. What did this man do to us?"

She turned watery eyes to the other boy. "Cedric…"

He walked over to her and crouched down to see that the boy was dead. For some reason, the ache in his chest intensified to the point that it was briefly unbearable. "… I'll let you go if you tell me. Where are we?"

The girl swallowed as if she could push her fear down her throat where she could ignore it. "I'm not stupid," she said through gritted teeth. "I know you're going to try to kill me!"

She was tied up, and he had a wand, but she still used the word "try." If he was trying to kill her, there would be no trying. She would already be dead.

"What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?" the man cried to himself as he cradled his butchered arm. If Tom was going to kill anyone, it was going to be him.

"Listen," Tom lowered his voice, trying to be soothing, which was something he had never tried before in his life. No one who knew him would ever believe he was capable of it. "He obviously kidnapped me as well. What is he doing to us?"

"Stop it!" the girl sobbed as she struggled in her ropes. "You killed my parents! Stop trying to make me think you won't kill me!"

Again, there was that shattering pain in his chest as the girl became hysterical. Tom forced himself to stand. "I am," he somehow managed to croak, "not who you think I am."

The girl stopped her struggles. "Tom Riddle," she snarled, disgusted to be saying his name. "Don't you remember me from two years ago? And the year before that?"

No. Tom was sure he would remember such a lunatic. Where her parents even dead? Perhaps the quivering man drove her mad with whatever depraved activities he put her through.

Since he was at a loss, Tom did something stupid. He pointed his wand at her ropes and severed them. The girl had a fragility about her that he confused with weakness. He didn't expect her to pounce on him as soon as she was free.

* * *

Violet didn't know how she was going to get to Hogwarts. All she knew was that she had to knock out Voldemort and get the hell out of here. Pettigrew was too cowardly to try to fight her without protection from his master. She kicked, bit, and clawed at him as soon as they stumbled to the ground. And then his hands were around her throat.

He didn't squeeze, but Violet foolishly held her breath as she waited for him to. They stared into each other's eyes, and for a brief second, she thought she saw her own.

"I do not know you," he said firmly. His cloak was ripped, and his lip was bleeding from the fight. Besides his adrenaline charged panting, he didn't move. "I am a victim of…" He turned his head to Pettigrew's direction. Violet followed his gaze to see that the rat had finally fled. "Of…"

"You are no victim!" Violet spat before kneeing him in the chest. "You killed my parents!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" he coughed out loudly. Even though she was on top of him, Voldemort eased the grip on her throat and said, "I'm going to let go. Don't run."

 _I should run,_ she thought as she slowly backed away. Somehow, she knew Voldemort— or was it Riddle?— was telling the truth. She just knew. It was almost as if, she was talking, she was the one telling the truth.

"What day is it?" Voldemort asked, sounding genuinely curious and almost friendly, like he was requesting the weather forecast. "The last I remember, it was November."

"June 24th." Violet paused. He looked like Riddle from the diary in second year, only a little younger. "1995."

He thought she was a loon. Violet could tell. He shook his head and said slowly, gently, "It's 1941."

Forty years before he killed her parents. Two years before he killed Moaning Myrtle. If he was telling the truth, he wasn't a killer. Not yet anyway.

"We have to go back to Hogwarts. To see Professor Dumbledore." Violet figured that Dumbledore would know what to do. He always did. But this was also a test. Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort feared. If he really didn't remember, he wouldn't object. If he did, well, there was still time to run.

Distaste flitted across Voldemort's features, but otherwise, he didn't seem bothered. "Let's go."

* * *

The girl was beautiful. Tom didn't notice until they portkeyed back to Hogwarts, and she started shaking the dead boy, stupidly thinking her sobs could bring him back to life. There was an odd, childish innocence about her. An innocence that had clearly been threatened many times, but somehow was never able to be destroyed. She didn't shut up until the dead boy's father found his way to them.

"What happened to my boy?" he wailed over the terrified murmurs of the crowd. The girl turned white as a ghost, and Tom gripped his chest as he felt that horrible pain again. It didn't go away until there was some distance between them. An old man with a false eye was leading her away.

"Stupid," Tom muttered. He followed because there was nothing else he could do. There was no one in sight that he recognized, and it wouldn't matter if he did. He cared about no one. Or so he thought.

He followed at a distance. This man, like the quivering bloody one, gave Tom an eerily terrible feeling. Something bad was going to happen. Only this time, he would be ready.

The man was raving like a lunatic, and the girl actually accepted a cup of tea from him. She was stupider than he thought.

"Cedric's dead," the girl cried. "I-I don't know what happened."

"The Dark Lord," the man desperately demanded. "Did he rise? Is he alive?"

"I…" The girl froze as the man grabbed her and squeezed her arms. Tom tightened the grip on his wand. He was hidden in the shadows, watching silently. "Yes."

"And the Death Eaters?" He squeezed so hard she flinched. "Were they forgiven?"

The girl gulped but held her ground. She was braver than Tom thought she would be. "Forgiven for what?"

"For abandoning him!" the man snarled. "Traders! Cowards! They were only in it for themselves! They did not care about the Cause! They—"

"It was you." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it silenced the madman. "You-you're one of them."

"I AM NOT ONE OF THEM!" the man screamed. "THEY ARE NOT WORTHY OF SERVING HIM! THEY ARE—"

 _"Stupefy!"_ Tom smirked, satisfied by the thud of the man hitting the floor. The girl stared, open mouthed. "…You're welcome."

She stopped gapping, only to frown. "He was talking about you."

"There you are, Violet." Dumbledore. He sounded grim, but it was definitely his teacher. Tom turned around, only to see a much older version of the man he had in mind. The girl couldn't possibly be right. Dumbledore gazed at him as if he was forcing himself to look at an opponent. "Tom."

* * *

"We have to kill him!"

The more people spoke, the more confused Tom became. The black haired girl's name was Violet, which he supposed suited her. She seemed delicate like a flower, and like violets, there seemed to be something about her that had a healing quality. Or perhaps it was only him. Everyone else seemed to think that she was only the fragile flower. They didn't see the fighter.

"Sirius…" There was a pleading, confused tone in her voice. "He doesn't know."

"What?" Sirius spat, causing Violet to shrink into herself. "That he killed your parents?"

"Sirius." Nothing about Dumbledore was pleading. He was requiring attention, and this Sirius fellow was all too willing to give it to him.

"No!" he shouted. "Don't you dare listen to her! She has Lily's heart, but she doesn't have her spine!"

"If Tom dies, he will return again, without a piece of Violet in him," Dumbledore said slowly, letting the words sink in. No one understood at first, but he did. That pain in his chest. It was hers. "The potion that was being used to resurrect him required the blood of an enemy."

"We are enemies," Violet said. She glanced at him, almost in apology. Tom smirked, almost to himself. So much for enemies.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius suddenly became concerned. He looked at Tom in disgust. "A piece of Violet in him."

Dumbledore frowned and glanced at a man with greasy black hair, who was hovering in the background, occasionally trading dirty looks with Sirius. The greasy man nodded, almost reluctantly. "I believe that Voldemort was creating horcruxes."

"What?" Tom asked at the same time as the wretch Sirius. Violet didn't say anything, but it was clear by her blank look that she didn't know either.

"His soul is shredded into several pieces," Dumbledore lectured. No it wasn't! Why the hell would he do something like that? "And attached to objects. Like a diary." Violet paled. "He can use them to return if his current body is destroyed. The potion Peter tried to brew relied on Violet hating Voldemort like an enemy. Because she didn't, her blood caused part of her soul to mesh with this piece of Voldemort's. That is why they are currently the exact same age."

"I hate him," Violet said instantly. "He killed my parents! I hate him!"

"For the last time," Tom yelled, sick of being called a murderer, "I did not kill your parents!"

"Do you, Violet?" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling infuriatingly. "How exactly does he make you feel?"

"Sad…" Violet paused, trying to put her emotions into words. "Scared… Alone."

"I didn't _do_ anything!" Tom didn't know why it mattered. Nothing else made sense here, and usually, when something bad happened, he was involved. He didn't understand it until he was about eight, but he knew he was capable of terrible things. Perhaps the small child in him was still hurt at the thought of being blamed for something he didn't do.

Dumbledore ignored him. They went on talking about him as he wasn't there. "Not angry, vengeful?"

She looked at her feet. "That won't bring them back."

"Stop playing word games, Dumbledore!" Sirius spat, and for once, Tom agreed.

The greasy haired man finally joined the conversation, but only because he didn't like Violet's answers. "What do you expect of the girl, Albus? She is incapable of standing up for herself! The only time she doesn't cower and whimper like an infant is if she thinks her friends are in danger!"

"That's not true." Finally, they all looked at him. Tom gritted his teeth, not knowing why the verbal assault on the girl bothered him so much. What was wrong with him?

And then they went back to talking about him like he wasn't there. Dumbledore announced, "He'll stay with me. Until we know how to destroy the horcruxes."

"And then what?" See. She wasn't weak. Despite the cut on her arm and having to deal with two depraved madmen, Violet balled her fists and glared at Dumbledore, prepared to stand up to him.

Dumbledore smiled his infuriating, all-knowing smile. "Tom gets to see what having humanity is like."

* * *

Two days later and Tom still didn't know what the hell was going on. He was forced to live in Dumbledore's office. Since he didn't have friends or family, he was forced to remain prisoner like some sort of criminal. Because he was severely outnumbered, he had to give up his wand, but at least he had a steady supply of books. He had a feeling these idiots didn't know what to do with him.

"You didn't even ask what he meant by that. Dumbledore." Violet. She was out of the hospital, and Tom was quick to learn that she was incredibly annoying. "Sirius says you're a sociopath. Or, you were."

"Don't you have bunnies to cuddle or something?" She seemed like the type. Tom snapped his alchemy textbook shut and reached for another. "A puppy to rescue."

She shook her head. "Sirius left. Bunnies make me sneeze."

Of course they did. She probably had a tiny, adorable sneeze too. Violet tilted her head to the side when his cheeks burned at the thought. "Leave me alone."

"Dumbledore thinks you have a conscience now." She lowered her voice into a whisper. "But he doesn't know I'm here."

She sounded like she thought she was doing something really bad. Like steal from the poor bad. Hopefully that meant she would leave soon. She made him feel… uncomfortable, to say the least.

Her jaw set, and she just sat there, staring at him, like she was waiting for something. Tom did his best to ignore her. No matter how much he read, he couldn't figure out how to get back to his own time, if he even time traveled. Dumbledore made it seem like he was reborn. He didn't know why it mattered so much to him. All he really had was school, his studies. The books were still here, only now there were more of them.

"You killed my parents," she whispered.

"No, I didn't," he said as he turned the page. It was almost automatic now.

If he didn't look up, he wouldn't have to acknowledge the tears pooling in her eyes. "If you have a conscience now, you'll feel bad. You'll apologize."

 _If you have a conscience now…_ He was a good actor. The pains in his chest were a result of the potion. A physical side effect, not an emotional one. He really should request a healer look over his heart. He didn't care about anyone. He said what was necessary when he needed something, and now, he needed her to go away. "I don't care about your parents," he said coldly. "And I never will. Are you really as pathetic as everyone makes you out to be?"

He wasn't even that harsh, but she still backed away as if burned. Her pale skin turned cream colored as she backed away from him and his mountain of books. She ran away crying, but Tom didn't care.

* * *

"Fawkes told me what happened." Dumbledore stroked his bird, barely looking at Tom as he became violently ill for the second time that evening. He didn't dare put down the rubbish bin. "One thing you should know about Violet is that she is incredibly dependent on others. Friends, teachers, anyone who she attaches herself to. She depends on them for validation, for courage… I don't think she would be able to do anything without her friends. I didn't think she would make it through the Triwizard Tournament until she befriended the late Mr. Diggory."

"So?" Tom asked. He didn't dare lift his head from the rubbish bin.

Dumbledore looked down on him, sickly satisfied. "So… She's attached herself to you."

"I killed her parents," Tom said sarcastically as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Until recently," Dumbledore went on as if he hadn't spoken, "you only provided her with permission to feel self-pity. Now she wants you to give her permission to stop mourning for what she never had."

"Bullshit." Everything about this was bullshit. Tom wanted nothing more than to throw the sick filled rubbish been at Dumbledore but no… He gave up such fits of rage when he learned he was a wizard.

Dumbledore chuckled as if it were funny. "Violet naively assumes everyone has a heart until they prove to her otherwise. You, my boy, are currently feeling what she is. The disappointment, the self-pity, the hurt. But… I think the guilt is what is making you sick."

Tom glared at him. "She has nothing to feel guilty about."

Dumbledore smiled. For years, Tom had fantasized about ripping those twinkling eyes out. Now, the thought only made him feel more sick. "No. But you do."

* * *

Violet didn't tell Hermione, who would abandon her for the library, or Ron, who would insist on breaking into Dumbledore's office to finish Riddle off, what. She needed her friends to tell her that Cedric didn't die because of her. She needed them to listen to her cry and say everything was going to be alright. She just _needed_ them.

"I don't know what to say to Mr. and Mrs. Diggory," Violet said for the thousandth time this week. If she whined enough, Hermione would tell her, give her a well-rehearsed speech to let the Diggorys know how she felt guilty, sad, and incredibly confused. Hermione was better with words.

Hermione sighed but gave her a sad look that made Violet feel perversely better. "I don't think anything you can tell them will be right, Vi. Just say how you feel. That you're sorry and you'll miss Cedric."

"Nothing I can say will be right," Violet parroted back. "I feel sorry, and I miss Cedric."

Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times, not entirely sure what to say. She looked almost thankful when someone behind Violet caught her eye. "H-Hello."

"I need to speak to Violet. Alone," a terse, now familiar voice said from behind her. Violet felt her insides freeze. Not knowing who it was, Hermione bobbed her head up and down, snatched up her book, and hurried out of her seat. Violet rose to follow her.

"I have to go." Now was the perfect time to tell Hermione. Then, they could come up with a plan. She would fight Riddle if Hermione thought it was the right thing to do.

"No you don't." Tom gripped her shoulders and forced her back into her chair. When he was sure she wasn't going to flee, he sauntered to the seat across from her and sat down. "Even Dumbledore thinks you're a submissive little mouse."

Violet only looked at him blankly. She heard some variation of that a lot. Hermione and Ginny said it shouldn't bother her, so it didn't. She wouldn't have survived four years with Snape otherwise. "Okay…"

"I know that's not true." Riddle's dark eyes scanned the room. So Dumbledore didn't know he was here. Or he was pretending not to know. Violet was sure it was the latter. Riddle's eyes flickered to her Gryffindor badge. "What a sly Gryffindor you are. No one can punish or fault you if you don't make a decision yourself. Poor Violet just didn't know… Poor Violet was just scared. More like poor Violet knows how to escape a beating."

Violet's eyes widened, but otherwise, she didn't react. That wasn't true. She just had trouble making decisions because she knew she'd mess everything up. But when it counted…

"But when it counts," Riddle went on, "like when they were talking about killing me… Poor Violet suddenly has a voice. _Stupid_ Gryffindor. They aren't going to believe you can do anything if you always act like you can't."

"I-I can," Violet said feebly. It sounded like she was asking a question, and she hated herself for it.

Riddle leaned forward, causing Violet to lean away. "Prove it."

* * *

She was easy to manipulate. One short conversation and he was going to get what he wanted. Dumbledore didn't trust him, and he wasn't even allowed to know why. The old man was going to regret it.

"He can't remember," Violet said boldly. "And you said that he has part of me in his soul, that he has a conscience. So why can't he be in our class next year?"

But Dumbledore had a few tricks up his sleeve. Tricks that Tom wasn't aware of. "Do you think that is fair to Miss Weasley? Surely she will recognize him."

That stumped Violet. Guilt flooded her green eyes and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "She-But he can't remember. To him, it didn't happen at all. Ginny…"

"Almost died at Tom's hands," Dumbledore finished for her. "And lost a year of her life. I don't think it is wise, Violet."

"I…" Violet almost backed down. She cast her eyes down to her shiny black shoes. Tom thought she was surely going to give up, and he would have to spend a few days berating her to get her to start up the conversation again. But then, she glanced at him and used his disapproval to go on. "He could go in disguise. What did you think was going to happen? That he would spend the rest of his life in your office? You act all smug, saying that Riddle isn't Voldemort and that he has a heart, but you're still treating him like he doesn't!"

Excellent. Dumbledore was taunting him for having a heart? Well he himself had a weak one. One so weak that he would give in to the naïve demands of a childish girl. "Perhaps… we can break a few rules."

"A few?" Violet asked. Tom remained silent, not wanting Dumbledore to become suspicious.

With a chuckle, Dumbledore conjured a quill into a large pair of sunglasses. "You, Tom, are going to have a seeing dog named Padfoot."

"A what?" Tom dared to ask as Violet's green eyes lit up. At least he wouldn't be trapped in the office.

Dumbledore smiled. "Part of your disguise. You will say that you are joining us for your fifth year because during you first four years, you were homeschooled. Your parents feared that your blindness would impede your ability to get around the castle. However, now that you have Padfoot, they have full confidence in you."

"Sirius will be in the castle!?" Violet asked happily, like she couldn't believe her ears. Sirius was Padfoot. Oh no… "The whole school year?!"

"Yes." Dumbledore patted her head like an adoring grandfather. "Why don't you write him the good news? I'll get you some parchment."

Tom supposed he should feel outfoxed as Dumbledore headed to the upper part of his office, but he didn't. It may take a few months, but he would find a way to get rid of the "dog" or babysitter was more like it. Maybe he could even trick Violet into sending him away.

"Thank you!" He sounded so genuine that he almost believed himself. Violet was positively glowing with excitement, even though the last he saw Sirius, he called her spineless. It may be harder than he thought to turn her against him. He would have to take a risk.

He kissed her without giving it much thought. She was greedily fed on attention from anyone who so much as smiled at her, so he knew he wouldn't be rejected. When she started kissing him back, Tom expected to feel superiority and a sense of accomplishment. He gasped when realized he felt something else, something he almost didn't recognize.

For the first time in his life, Tom felt… happy.

 **So… what do you think? I normally don't like this pairing, so I don't know what possessed me to write it. I'm more of a fem!Harry x Draco fan, so I'd like to hear what you guys think of fem!Harry x Tom. :)**


	2. Personality Change

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.**

 **And now the moment some of you have been waiting for! ;) A continuation of Violet and Tom's story! Again, I'm not sure how far I want to go with this, so its staying complete for now.**

Chapter 2 Personality Change

Tom wasn't sure if Violet was aware, but he could see her while he slept. No. He wasn't one of those lovesick saps who dreamed of beautiful girls. When he was asleep and she was awake, he could actually see what she was doing.

A lot of effort went into it. The act was a form of Legilimency that he discovered quite accidently while trying to see into the mind of that old fool Dumbledore. He was rehearsing the magic in his bed (prison) one night when he fell asleep, only to see Violet washing dishes while cursing under her breath. Now _that_ was a sight to see.

Out of sheer boredom, he started staying up all night and sleeping the day away to see what she was up to. Dumbledore kept him locked away in his office all day, so watching Violet was the most interesting thing he had to do.

You see, little Violet had a big personality change when she was _home,_ especially when her uncle was off to work. She was angry, and the girl who attacked him the night they first met was around all the time.

"I'm not cleaning that shit," Violet spat. Where was the adorable little Gryffindor who was putty in his hands? Oh she would return when her uncle came home.

Her aunt grabbed her wrist and squeezed until her niece cried out. "You aren't eating until this kitchen is spotless!"

Violet wasn't capable of hating anyone. Perhaps that was why she was so angry. She was hurt that her aunt and uncle hated her. With her stature and her thinness, she wasn't capable of expressing that to her uncle. Petunia was fair game.

"Then I guess I'm not eating!" Violet tested. Tom felt an uneasiness in his chest but assured himself was hers. When her emotions were particularly strong, he felt them. It was a curse, but at least he knew he really didn't care about her. Then he wouldn't be able to manipulate her during the school year.

Petunia sneered at her. "I guess not."

Violet stomped off to her room and started writing yet another letter to Sirius Black. With a sniffle, she crumbled it up and tossed it in the trash _again._ Vernon would come home, threaten her, and raise his hand to send her scurrying about the house to do her aunt's bidding. It was starting to get _boring_.

"We're going to run away one day," she said to her owl. It merely blinked at her. "I can take care of myself! I— _She_ needs me. Yes… That's it…"

Was she really too scared to run away? The Potters weren't poor. She wouldn't be living on the streets… or an orphanage. Tom shivered at the thought. No. Not the thought of Violet living in an orphanage he told himself. The _memories._ His memories of that godawful place.

Violet must've sensed her weakness too because she huffed and stomped back downstairs to find her aunt fixing yet another snack for her whale of a son. She started pacing like an insulted rhino. This was going to be good.

"I-I am not a maid," she huffed. "I am a _witch_." Petunia tensed, reminding Tom that she hated magic. "There. I said it. I'm a witch! Are you jealous of me just like my mum?"

WHAM! Tom felt like time slowed down after Petunia whacked Violet in the head with a frying pan. She stumbled backward, as if dazed. Blood was sliding from her scalp. Tom woke up just as she started wobbling out of the kitchen.

Before he could catch himself, he was running down to the lower level of Dumbledore's office. "Sir—"

He was talking to Severus, who Tom knew hated him with all his being. Everyone who knew who he truly was did, but Tom sensed a special hatred coming from him. It was even worse than the radiating loathing that oozed out of Sirius.

"Yes, Tom? You haven't been awake before dinner in a while." The hopeful tone from the twinkling fool made Tom hesitate. He was always looking for signs that he "had a heart." Bullshit… He… Well, he and Violet had some sort of magically connection. If she died, what would happen to him?

"Violet's hurt." Tom gritted his teeth when Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. His professor was always one step ahead. "Her aunt hit her."

Severus snorted. "Is she writing that to you? She's always looking for attention. If I had a knut for every time she cried because I simply _didn't like her_ , I could retire."

"How _do_ you know this, Tom?" Dumbledore asked lightly.

"It's a lie," Severus snapped. He reached into his pocket and threw a beat up looking diadem on Dumbledore's desk. "Four left. I am done waiting until she's ready. She'll be sucking him off before she'll kill him."

"Severus," Dumbledore chided. For some reason, Tom couldn't keep his eyes off the diadem. What did he mean by four left? "You've never hesitated to believe a child."

"She didn't write to me!" Tom snapped. Dumbledore already knew that. Worse, he was waiting to hear the truth and wasting time for the sake of proving that Tom "had a heart." "I saw it."

Severus finally slid his hateful eyes to Tom. In that moment, he knew that he would have to kill this man before he killed him. "You saw it."

"Yes, I saw it!" Tom yelled at his flat, disbelieving tone. "And she's going to die while the two of you are sitting around, plotting my death! You-you can't just leave her there!"

His voice cracked with fear. Yes. Fear. Tom felt his face go blank and his body become numb at the loss of composure. He didn't give a damn about her. He didn't.

* * *

Dumbledore was so smugly satisfied that he was allowed to go to Privet Drive to confront Petunia. He was in his disguise, of course. Large black glasses covering half his face, Padfoot's hot breath at his feet. But he didn't care. If anything. This was good. For the first time all summer he finally was able to get fresh air.

"Hello, Petunia." Dumbledore was the one without a heart. Tom clenched his fists, wanting to knock the horse teeth right out of the filthy Muggle. "I would like to see Violet, if you don't mind."

Petunia paled but knew Dumbledore wouldn't willingly hurt a fly. The horse was quick to find her voice. "I don't know what you've done to her at that-that _school_ , but she has completely changed." She lowered her voice to a whisper, as if her next sentence was a dirty secret. "She used to be a good girl."

Dumbledore knew. He knew, and he revealed the truth to Petunia fucking Dursley. "It would seem that Violet has given away some of her kindness, Petunia. Perhaps, she needed to."

The silence was almost too heavy to bear. Even Padfoot stopped growling. She gave away some of her kindness. They kept saying that she gave him a conscience, a heart. Did that mean she had less of one? Interesting…

"She's gone," Petunia hissed, looking around as if anyone was outside to overhear.

"Gone?" Tom repeated. "You split her fucking head open and let her leave?"

Padfoot took a step closer to her and barred his teeth. Tom grinned, for once happy to have him around. Almost eagerly, he waited for the mutt to tear Petunia Dursley to shreds. He almost lost it when Dumbledore magically slammed the door in the woman's face and started walking away.

"What are you doing?" Tom found himself screaming. "She could still be in there! Locked up—"

"Just because you were locked away for misbehaving doesn't mean she is," Dumbledore said as he started walking away. Tom refused to move. Padfoot started barking, seemingly on his side. "There blood on the sidewalk. We have a trail to follow I'm afraid."

"You knew?" At the orphanage, they often dealt with him by locking him in the basement. To keep him away from the other children, they said. "You knew and you still wouldn't let me stay at school. Because of a stupid rule?"

"You were cruel to the other children, Tom." Dumbledore pointed the wand at the sidewalk and mumbled a few sentences in ancient tongue under his breath. A glowing light appeared, leading them to Violet. "Do you deny it?"

Before he could lie, Padfoot changed back to Sirius. "You're going to let Petunia get away with this?"

"No." He'd only let the orphanage get away with it. Because Violet was a "good" girl. Tom never hated him more. "We'll worry about that after we take Violet to the hospital."

Sirius turned red until the light that was going to lead them to Violet flickered. In a flash, he changed into Padfoot and started running for her.

She was at a playground. Half her face was covered in blood, stark next to her nearly white skin. When she saw him, she instantly became belligerent towards _him,_ the one who saved her.

 _"YOU!"_ she spat, charging at him as if she could actually hurt him. "You killed my parents! You…"

She crumbled to the ground. He didn't kill her parents! He saved her! And that was how she repaid him? By treating him like everyone else had been? Tom turned to run like the soft buffoon his headmaster thought he was becoming. Turning his back to Albus Dumbledore was never wise.

As the stunner hit him square in the spine, Tom felt a tear slide down his cheek. What was wrong with him?

* * *

The smell woke him up. He opened his eyes to see a mediwitch applying a strong smelling salve to a deep cut on Violet's forehead. She was staring blankly at the walk.

"Padfoot wanted to talk to you," she said quietly. "But dogs can't talk."

"I didn't kill anyone," Tom said for the millionth time.

"You kissed me," she accused instead. "Back in June."

"So?" The kiss was supposed to make her his puppet. It was supposed to make her forget all of the crimes everyone claimed he committed. "You kissed me back."

She shrugged and finally looked him in the eye. Tom wished he wasn't wearing those stupid glasses. "I… don't feel like myself."

Tom turned his head from side to side, making sure no one important was around. "Neither do I."

For once, Violet seemed sure of herself. There was a confidence in her eyes that he didn't recognize. "I think I like it. Do you?"

Tom chose not to answer.

* * *

They were at a man named Lupin's house. Violet asked for him to come over every day, and surprisingly, Black let him. Tom was quick to learn why.

Violet was snoozing on the couch the first day, not lasting long with her pain potions. She had a lot more injuries then Tom knew about. He realized that he often woke up around dinner time, which was when Vernon came home to teach Violet to behave.

"I was her professor," Lupin said lightly. Black was watching them out of the corner of his eye as he ran his fingers through Violet's hair. "And I will be again this year. Being exposed as a werewolf was my biggest shame… but now that you will be there…"

"I didn't kill anyone," Tom growled as he pushed around his food. He was beginning to regret leaving Dumbledore's office and his books. "If anything, I saved her life."

Lupin gave him a tight smile. "And although I don't deserve it, she loves me like a father. She loves everyone."

"Her biggest flaw, I know." Tom rolled his eyes. Yes, perfect Violet, so sweet, so kind. She'd burn a house down for a pat on the head, and everyone thought it was cute. That is, until he came along.

"I know what you're doing." Perhaps it was a trick of the mind, but Lupin's smile seemed predatory, like a werewolf. "She has everyone wrapped around her finger, so you think if she falls in love with you, that she can cry and get you whatever you want from people."

So Lupin was smart. Nearly as smart as Dumbledore, who was clever enough not to reveal himself. "Yes," he said dryly. "Severus is bound to get me a kitten for Christmas now."

Lupin frowned. "I never realized how starved for love she was as a child. But you picked up on it immediately. Didn't you?"

"I saved her life," Tom repeated. "Perhaps that's why she's slobbering all over me."

Lupin nodded to himself, silently answering his own question. "You're every move is going to be watched for the rest of your life. Stay away from her." There was an unspoken _or else._

Before he could answer, Violet was roused from her sleep and smiled sleepily at him. She was back to herself now that she was away from the Dursleys. Sweet and cute, disgustingly so. Tom was already annoyed. He tensed when she walked the short distance to the dining room and hugged him.

"Tomorrow's my birthday," she informed him shyly. Her puppy eyes settled on Lupin. "Can he come over? I'd be writing to Padfoot, begging for cake if it wasn't for him."

Lupin's jaw set at the thought, but he couldn't say no to those eyes. "I-I suppose."

Tom got her a kitten, a constant reminder of his conversation with Lupin.

* * *

"I'll name her Tulip." The black kitten was tiny and playful, almost as annoying as Violet. She couldn't stop smiling when she saw that he got her something. He still occasionally blushed at the memory of Dumbledore catching him stealing money for the gift.

Tom wanted to kick it as he watched the beast untie his shoes with its teeth. It wasn't a gift, not really. It was a snub at Lupin, who was watching them as he served cake to a brood of children called Weasleys. "Wonderful…" Then, he whispered, "I hate these glasses."

Violet chewed on her lip and scooped up the kitten, cuddling the tiny fur ball against her cheek. "Well you have to where 'em."

"Says Dumbledore," he grumbled, doing his best to sound put out. For good measure, he added, "Do you even remember what I look like?"

"Yes." She blushed, making him feel triumphant. "Ginny…"

Ah yes, Ginevra. A scary creature who whispered about him to the bushy haired girl. Tom considered blinding her, but that would be too convenient, too obvious. "Is the blind kid story all that believable? I've never heard of a seeing eye dog. Would one even use a mutt like that?"

"But…" She was going to do whatever he said. Lupin was right. She was so starved for love as a child that she would do anything for it. "She'll never forget. _I'll_ never forget."

"What if she could?" Tom pressed. "Forget. But only what I look like. Then, I could be miraculously cured. Dumbledore's bound to be skilled at memory charms. If you were to ask him…"

She glanced at Ginevra. Tom smiled to himself, waiting for her to give in, waiting for her to be happy about doing his bidding. But then her eyes hardened. "No."

He blinked, almost feeling like he had misheard. "No?"

"No," she said firmly. Violet was never firm. "Remus said not to trust you. Because you killed my parents."

"I DIDN'T!" Tom yelled, freezing when the entire party went silent. Even the kitten stopped its incessant playing. Yet again, he lost control, no was losing control. He couldn't even stop himself. What was wrong with him? "Stop saying that…"

Feeling like a child, no feeling like _Violet_ , Tom stood up and stomped to the fireplace, not even bothering to pretend to be blind and trip over things. He had enough.

* * *

Surprise, surprise. Violet snuck off to Dumbledore's office around midnight. Tom was pretending not to hear her fumble around in the dark. He stayed on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

He almost jumped out when she slipped into bed with him.

She hugged his chest and rested her cheek on his shoulder as if they were old lovers. "You killed my parents. Tried to kill me when I was one. When I was eleven. When I was twelve. And I know you were a few months ago too."

"Yes, yes. It's so hard for you." Everyone accepted that he had no memories of these events but treated him as if he did. "I wish everyone could forget."

Unlike everyone else, she didn't become smug or suspicious when he let something slip. Because of that, his confession didn't scare him as much as it should. Her green eyes looked at him sadly. "I wish I could too."

He had to get back to himself.

* * *

As if to prove himself, Tom asked Violet to sneak out with him a few nights later by handing her a crumbled letter during a tense dinner at the Lupin house. Even better, she slipped Lupin and Black sleeping potions at dinner. After their intimate meeting after her birthday, she was back to doing whatever he asked. Excellent.

"They always go out to dinner on Fridays," Violet said lightly. They were standing outside the Dursleys house.

"So they're not worried." Tom chose not to tell her that Dumbledore was off at the Ministry to press charges against the Dursleys. He wasn't supposed to know anyway. "They aren't even worried about getting in trouble for hurting you. Have they ever?"

Violet hardened, a rare occurrence. "No."

"They should be punished," Tom pressed. Nothing about him was different, but he felt the need to show himself that. The power of Albus Dumbledore's suggestion was enough to drive anyone mad. "Dumbledore never cared about what happened to _me_ as a child."

Violet shivered, not expecting a chill in the summer air tonight. He handed her his coat. Almost hesitantly, she handed him her wand. As soon as it was in his hand, she cried, "I changed my mind!"

They had talked about this for over an hour. Before that, another ten minutes was spent arguing in Dumbledore's office. Who cared about illegal apparition?

The plan was to cast a spell on the gas tank in the Dursley's house. When they were sound asleep, it would blow up. They didn't deserve to live, he assured Violet.

Tom rolled his eyes, as if she were being silly. "Your ribs were cracked. From him kicking you."

"I don't care!" Violet shook her head. "They're people."

"Stupid Gryffindor." He pointed her wand at the house anyway. He was doing this for himself, not to her. He hadn't changed. This would prove that he hadn't changed. _"Incendio indomitus!"_

A wild, uncontrollable fire consumed Number Four, causing Violet to shriek. Tom grabbed her arm and apparated back to Hogwarts Gates.

"How could you do that?!" she screamed, already crying hysterically. "I said no." With a rough shove, she snatched her wand back from him. "I SAID NO!"

It wasn't even what he wanted to do. He wanted to kill them. Tom found himself overwhelmed with an indescribable emotion. It had to be Violet's. He didn't care about those Muggle pigs.

"I'm sorry." Tom swallowed, feeling like there was a jagged rock in his throat. Violet stopped crying, but he barely noticed. He felt disgusting, sick, like he was worthless and that part of him was dead.

Because for the first time in his life, he apologized and meant it.

 **So many reviews! Thank you cookyc, FanaticShipper, Raven097, saku hyuuga, gr8rockstarrox, Gothazon, Nataly SkyPot, RG, Rago Dragovian, D-B-Rayne, ajcollins2010, angeleyes7084, Guest, FireRuby, Supremebananamanager, and Pygmy Hippo!**

 **I'm not sure when/if I'll be adding to this, so I'll give you a clue about why Tom is changing more compared to the last one. If you noticed, he was a lot more emotional after Snape destroyed one of the horcruxes!**

 **RG: That's exactly where I was going with this!**


	3. Poisonous Violet

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.**

Chapter 3 Poisonous Violet

After spending half the night tossing and turning, Violet eventually drifted off and found herself waking up feeling a lot different. The Dursleys turned her into a scared little mouse. She knew what was like to be hurt, and as a result, didn't want to hurt anyone. She was wrong.

For the next few weeks, Violet kept to herself mostly, thinking about life, what she put up with. She craved love, desperately so, but now she was thinking that she didn't need it. Look at what it turned her into. A bug that was repeatedly stepped on.

Then Dumbledore came over shortly before school started… with Tom.

"There you are Violet." Her headmaster frowned at her lack of greeting. "I have to say, I've been waiting for a visit, or even a letter, from you."

"About what?" Violet said flatly. There was no point in trying to act innocent. He'd blame everything on Tom anyway, whose face was about as pale as milk. No one ever blamed her for anything.

His frown deepened, making some of his wrinkles more pronounced. "Do you know what happened to your relatives?"

"It was in the papers."

"Tom says he had nothing to do with the fire." Dumbledore waited. Unfortunately for him, he waited too long. If he had contacted her the day after instead of waiting for her to come crying to him, he may have gotten what he wanted. Now, she saw reason. The Dursleys deserved what they got.

"We noticed you haven't been yourself lately," Remus said quietly. "The only time I see the real you, Vi, is when you're with that cat."

Tulip was only a baby. Of course she had to be sweet to her. Violet turned to Sirius, who was picking at the thread on Remus's couch. He thought the Dursleys deserved what they got too. Violet smiled to herself. "It's been a difficult summer, don't you think?"

Dumbledore was done playing games. "I know when Tom leaves my office, Violet. I knew when you were sneaking into his room. I know whenever he leaves. I was hoping that him sneaking off to see you would change him for the better. Now I see that the opposite is occurring."

"What do you mean?" Violet asked innocently. Tom's mouth twitched into a frown, and then his face became blank.

"Did you set the Dursleys' house on fire?" Dumbledore asked seriously.

Violet tilted her head to the side, as if she didn't understand how he could possibly think such a thing. "No."

* * *

The Order of the Phoenix was in an uproar. Sirius didn't know what to think. Yes, Violet was quieter, a little more abrasive, but he saw nothing wrong with what she did. Hell, he won't have been so kind. But Voldemort made her do it. Sirius knew that was what made the situation dire, but if Violet had done this on her own, he wasn't sure if he would be so worried. They hit her…

"Perhaps you'd be a little more concerned, Black," Snape drawled, "when people around her start disappearing and dying."

"I didn't see you helping her when she needed it!" Sirius spat, although his mind was still clouded with thoughts about Violet. Was she really becoming the sociopath everything thought she was?

"I didn't see you either," Snivellus countered calmly. "You've been in her good graces for over a year. Yet you didn't take her in until the Dark Lord, the murderer of her parents, saved her. And now, she is becoming just like him. What a—"

"It is the horcrux," Albus said, "the one within her."

The entire room became silent. Sirius knew what he was talking about. He had been denying it ever since he had been set free. He didn't believe someone like Violet could have something so evil in her. Now…

"That, combined with a magical connection to Tom," he went on. "…We must destroy _all_ the horcruxes in order for them to lead a normal life."

 _"Them?"_ Sirius asked incredulously. A huge part of him hoped that destroying all the horcruxes would end with Voldemort's death.

Albus folded his hands together and for once, looked his age. "I do not know what will happen if he were to die. The two of them are magically connected. However, if Violet and Tom were to get out of hand…"

"You would allow them both to die," Remus finished. Sirius shivered. He noticed that Snape was the only one in the room who didn't react. Everyone else looked stricken at the thought of killing Violet. He certainly would never allow it, Voldemort or not.

Albus didn't deny or confirm it. "We will see what happens after we destroy the horcruxes."

* * *

"I am not doing it!" It was Christmas, and Violet found herself spying on Remus and Sirius. Tom had befriended Blaise Zabini and was having dinner with him and Dumbledore. She'd see him tomorrow on Boxing Day and would have to endure Ginny slobbering all over him. She fancied Tom. If only she knew…

"She would survive," Remus whispered. "Albus—"

"I am not taking the risk!" Sirius hissed. "She's quieter. So what? She's not taking any crap from Snape or sucking up to everyone. Well I say good for her! She's fine just the way she is!"

"She hexed Severus and nearly paralyzed him," Remus's voice rose, but ended in a whisper, since he thought she was still asleep. "Because he gave her a zero in class."

"He called her stupid!" Sirius yelled. "And it's been going on for too long! That's why she did it!"

"You are doing her more harm than good!" Remus stuttered a few times before coming up with a nice little speech. Violet suddenly wasn't sure if she could trust him anymore. "And have you noticed something? He's making friends. She's distancing herself from hers. He's more concerned about getting along with people, and she's more concerned with getting what she wants. She's becoming _him._ "

"I'm not hurting her," Sirius said firmly. "Where are you going?!" It was like listening to an old married couple. Violet desperately wished she knew what they were talking about. She didn't want to believe it, but it sounded like Remus was trying to hurt her in some way.

"The library. I want to see if there's a way to help her without risking her harm." Never mind then. But could she trust him? "But Sirius, it may be the only way."

"Then its not happening." Sirius was the only one she could trust.

* * *

Ginny asked Tom out. He said no. However, there was a Hogsmeade trip today. Violet wanted to make sure they weren't going together. She was banned after what happened with Snape. Sirius was right. He had it coming.

So she had her eyes glued to the Marauder's Map in hopes to see them returning together. Sirius was with Tom, obviously, since he was pretending to be blind, but she didn't like asking him such things. Tom said he wanted to buy some books. She just had to see that they weren't together…

 _Peter Pettigrew._

Violet narrowed her eyes and ran her fingers over his name on the map. What was he doing here?

* * *

Tom pretended to be asleep more often than not on the weekends, even though he was sure Dumbledore knew his every move. Something was off about Violet, but with that damned mutt pretending to be his see-and-eye dog, he couldn't have much more than an extremely formal, superficial conversation with her.

Before the Dursley incident, he felt like he was becoming in tune with her emotions. It was annoying as hell, but now that he was having difficulty, he realized that it could've been useful. Now, if he strained himself to try to find some connection with her, all he felt was a cold darkness.

For both those reasons, he was starting to keep his distance. It pleased Sirius, and as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't read and manipulate Violet like he used to. There was a distance about her that reminded him of himself.

He pretended to like the Ginevra girl because he found her twin brothers fascinating. They had plenty of useful inventions, and they often gave them to him for volunteering to be guinea pig. The only downside was that he occasionally grew bright yellow feathers…

The Extendable Ears were what he really wanted. Dumbledore may not be plotting his demise, but his servants certainly were. Especially the dour potions master. Tom couldn't wait for the opportunity to make him disappear.

Currently, he was listening in to a conversation he was having with Sirius. Tom kept his eyes closed and the ear with the Extendable Ear pressed firmly against his pillow. The voices were muffled, but he still appeared to be sound asleep.

"… There has to be another way. Remus and I just need a chance to find it!"

"She will be perfectly alright, Sirius."

"She may have lived through the Killing Curse once, but I'm not going to risk it again!"

What the devil?! Dumbledore wanted to kill Violet? That was impossible. They obviously would be plotting to kill him, but no one would ever lay a hand on their airheaded little princess. But they were magically connected… Did Dumbledore want to kill Violet in order to kill him?

"They could both lead a normal life." Dumbledore sounded like he believed in this, but being a master liar and manipulator himself, Tom didn't trust him. "It is a disservice to Violet to let her go on like this, Sirius. She is no longer her."

Sirius laughed bitterly. "You don't know that it was her. It could have been me. _I_ have wanted to kill him for years, and if it wasn't for Wormtail, none of this would be happening."

"You were in Hogsmeade with Tom when Peter was murdered," Dumbledore said gravely. "You know it was her… An evil has taken over."

Changed or not, Violet would never kill someone. Tom ripped off his Extendable Ear as Sirius started to mumble about time of death not being exact. Was she really losing her ability to love because of him? To feel anything? Tom didn't care anyway. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force the sleep that he knew wasn't going to come.

When he was a child, he eventually learned to control his rages, to turn his emotions off like a switch. He hadn't done something like that recently because he hadn't felt the need, but now he was wondering if it was because he _couldn't_ do it anymore, not that he didn't _want_ to.

What did he care? As long as he was safe and could do as he pleased, Violet could be a psychopathic axe murderer.

* * *

"It is quite a shame about Mr. Pettigrew. He could have answered so many questions about Black." Umbridge was trying to goad her. Violet wasn't planning on letting her. Pettigrew kept Sirius from being her godfather and would've killed her given the first chance he got. He deserved the knife to the heart. "We would have finally learned the truth."

Violet said nothing. Let her waste the detention time. After an hour, she was leaving whether she was finished or not. She was done trying to make everyone love her, done begging for forgiveness and acceptance. And she was done with this woman, if she could be called one.

Umbridge pursed her lips, dissatisfied by her lack of reaction. Good. "Your suggestion that Peter Pettigrew killed himself was entirely false and inappropriate for the classroom setting, Violet. I'm afraid you'll have to write lines for your detention."

Violet almost shrugged at the anticlimactic punishment but thought better off it and sat down to take out a quill and ink bottle. Umbridge giggled, causing Violet to raise an eyebrow before deciding that she really didn't care what was so funny.

"I have a _special_ quill for you," Umbridge said with a sickly sweetness that made Violet frown. Hmmm… Maybe this detention wouldn't be so anticlimactic after all.

* * *

 _I mus_. For some reason, the four letters were lightly carved into Violet's hand, but that wasn't what Tom was worried about. He only had so much time before the sedative he put in Padfoot's water bowl wore off.

"She's so soft!" Lupin was right. Violet was her old self with that damned cat. Sometimes, her sweetness reappeared with Sirius, but since they were at school, he seldom wasn't a dog. Her love was reserved for animals.

And himself, he thought. But in a different way. She kept her distance, but still looked at him with longing, like what she felt for him scared her. Before, her feelings for him only made her hungry for more.

Right now, she was watching him out of the corner of her eye as they walked the grounds. She never truly faced him.

"Probably because you brush it a thousand times a day." Tom almost smiled as she snuggled the furball to her chest. "I thought you would have been bored of it by now."

"Contrary to popular belief, I do not have the attention span of a goldfish." The coldness was back. She felt insulted. Good to know she was still as sensitive as she once was, even if she got better at hiding it. There wasn't a tear in sight.

"Just the personality of one," he couldn't resist saying cruelly.

"All the girls only like you because you're new and mysterious," she said just as meanly. "And they want to see what you would look like without those stupid glasses. And once you take them off…"

"What?" He smirked. She wanted to say they would lose interest, but then she remembered what he looked like without the false protective glasses that took up half his face. Her cheeks colored, making Tom grin.

"You should go out with Millicent Bulstrode, just to upset everyone." She was trying to cover up her embarrassment by making a joke about the gorilla girl. However, cattiness wasn't her forte, and she rolled her eyes with disgust at her own words. "What do you want anyway?"

 _To spend time with you._ That's what she wanted him to say. He could tell. However he could also tell that they both felt safer with the distance between them. Logically, they knew they'd be better off apart, for now anyway. Tom may have lost his puppet, but who's to say he couldn't gain an ally? He could teach her to pretend to be the little ball of sunshine she used to be, and together, they could get everything they ever wanted.

All he had to do was learn more about her, know for sure that she couldn't best him in anyway. They had to be equals or she had to be weaker. She couldn't be stronger. He would have to figure this out through stolen moments like this. He couldn't get wrapped up in anything he couldn't handle.

"What happened with Umbridge?" he asked bluntly. Subtly was for those who had time. "We're alone. Don't play dumb."

Violet gave him the smallest of smiles and kneeled to let Tulip hop out of her arms to go make a clumsy attempt at hunting. As if it could understand, she wanted to make sure the cat didn't hear of her wickedness. "She tried to hurt me."

 _I mus._ So Violet was defending herself. She didn't want something, so that meant she wouldn't kill him simply because it was convenient. Perhaps he still could get her to love him and do his bidding. He'd have to wait and see if she changed more.

"Oh? Well where is she?" Tom prompted. The old cow disappeared without a trace the other day. There wasn't even a sign of a struggle.

"At the bottom of the lake." Violet stretched and yawned, not caring in the slightest. She then smiled at the sun, as if God personally made it to warm her face. "It suits her, don't you think?"

She finally looked at him, and her smile twisted in a way that was all too familiar. He should be smiling with her, or even better, kissing her. He should be thrilled to have a partner, a minion he would no longer have to waste time manipulating. Instead, he felt terrified. That twisted smile, was once his own.

 **Thank you to the following reviewers of chapter 2: terriblecupcakes732, A-Ravenclaw-Demigoddess, Vi38, Nataly SkyPot, gr8rockstarrox, Guest, nina, semantics, sannie51238, and Guest!**

 **Guest from May 16: As harsh as your review felt when I first read it, I will have to say it inspired this chapter. Originally, I wanted to end this fic with Violet burning the Dursley's house down, but it just didn't feel right, and I thought there should be a more gradual shift. However, your review made me want to test out a more drastic change in her character. The only problem I had with your review was that Sirius wasn't in the scene you were disgusted with. Tom was only thinking about him. :)**

 **So, I wasn't going to continue this. Violet is my least favorite of the fem!Harry characters I've made up. For some reason, she's one of my more popular. I guess it's just the pairing. But I'm thinking about adding more chapters now that I have more of an idea for what happens next.**

 **So I guess you can thank the guest review from May 16** **th** **if you like this story? …So what do you think of the new Violet? Tom's conflicted, but eventually, he'll want to… save her from herself, I guess. The horcrux within her combined with the magic from the bond drove her even more nuts than she originally was. XD**


	4. The Sweet Freedom of Death

Chapter 4 The Sweet Freedom of Death

 _August 1996_

She thought his death would make her feel strong, or at least, not weak anymore. Violet shivered as she watched the train zoom by with her uncle under it. All she felt was hollowness.

His arms were around her. They both knew what they had done. It was heinous and unforgivable. Violet did her best to remember how weak Vernon made her feel. Her heart hardened.

"We should go." His voice was soft, comforting, but his sorrow wasn't masked like it usually was.

She had to regain control. Justice was served. She should make him feel like he did the right thing. "I love you."

In that moment, she knew she had him because he froze, and it was clear that he felt the same way, even though he wouldn't admit it. He would always remain by her side.

But then he surprised her and whispered in her hair, "I love you too."

* * *

 _September 1_ _st_ _, 1996_

Tom couldn't stop shaking. He didn't know why. Why should he feel guilty? Some could say that Vernon wasn't even a man. _He hit me. He choked me. He starved me._

That was the only reason he was shaking, Tom realized. He had been manipulated, manipulated by a little mouse. The shaking was caused by anger, not guilt. He should have seen the manipulation as soon as she opened her sweet little mouth this summer. Because it was something that he would have done.

"Tom?" Dumbledore. As if he needed anything else more nauseating.

"Sir?" His voice was curt, but Tom didn't care. At least it was steady, unlike his hands.

Dumbledore studied him, as if he were some sort of exhibit. "Did you know that Darkness cannot exist without Light?"

Yes. Because he wasn't five years old. Next, he was going to get a lecture about monsters under his bed. Tom rolled his eyes and almost left to go to bed. Dumbledore always knew how to frighten him.

"Vernon Dursley was a man who loved his family," the old man went on.

"Not all of his family." Tom swore under his breath at the slip while Dumbledore continued to watch him grimly. "He was drunk and fell asleep on train tracks. Good riddance."

Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him, even though he had already finished speaking. "I was not finished. There is Light in everyone, as there is Dark. Even the most minuscule amount of Light can flourish in Darkness and overcome it.

"And vice versa." So Dumbledore was talking about Violet, not him. This could be his chance to get rid of her. "You aren't shaking because she manipulated you, Tom. You are shaking because Darkness has taken her over while it is weakening within you."

"She did not manipulate me." Tom had enough. He poisoned a Muggle monster and left him to die on train tracks. So what? He might as well have stepped on a fire ant.

* * *

 _December, 1996_

"What is wrong with you?" Tom hissed. He had stunned the dog and dragged her to an abandoned bathroom. To his surprise, she didn't even wince when he grabbed her wrist and squeezed. "You can't take off these fucking glasses! Especially in front of Ginevra."

"You tried to kill her," Violet said venomously. "Four years ago you tried to drain the life out of her!"

"Shut up!" he shouted. Again, she was throwing in his face what he had no recollection of. He covered for her constantly, and this was the thanks he got. "I could have just blown everything because you tried to show her my face!"

"You kissed her," Violet accused. "Are you going to bugger her with those glasses on too?"

That's what this was about? There was one thing about Violet that would never change. She was one of the stupidest people he had ever met. No amount of callousness could change that.

"She kissed me." He didn't have time to reject it either. Like the raving lunatic that she was, Violet almost immediately stomped over and tried to rip his glasses off his face. She could have gotten him sent to Azkaban or worse because of mistletoe. "You're jealous."

Her face hardened, confirming his thoughts. "You belong to _me_."

Tom tsked and put her chin between his thumb and index finger. "Don't get aggressive towards someone who could kill you in an instant."

She narrowed her eyes. "You said you loved me. When you killed my uncle this summer."

 _I lied._ The nasty words were on the tip of his tongue. Tom could taste their bitterness, and he wanted to relish in the hurt they would cause. For some reason, the words wouldn't come out.

"Tell her you're jealous," he said instead.

"Tell her you love me," she demanded. "Tell Sirius. Tell Dumbledore. Put it in the fucking paper!"

"Do you love me?" he found himself asking. The sound of his own pathetic voice made him wince. Such questions were for the weak. There was no point to love.

Violet grinned, knowing she had him. "You're mine."

She kissed him like she loved him. Her touch was lingering and patient like she loved him. But she didn't say it.

* * *

 _June 30_ _th_ _, 1997_

Violet was many things. She was impulsive, desperate, and brave. She wasn't kind, however. Not anymore.

Very few were allowed to worm their way into her heart, and Snape certainly wasn't one of them. The pathetic man was plotting her death, and every once and a while, she could feel it. Her icy heart would crack, and the connection she felt with Tom would dim. Not entirely though, which was unfortunate for Snape.

"What are you doing?" she asked flatly. With her father's invisibility cloak, she had followed the two of them up the Astronomy Tower. Snape had Tom cornered, but he didn't look afraid. He never did.

Snape turned around, and in that moment, Violet knew that he was completely deranged. Blackened fingers curled around his wand. "She wouldn't have wanted this for you."

"Stay away from her!" The sound of panic in Tom's voice was still foreign to Violet. It seemed that the more control she had over her own desperate, weak feelings, the less he had. She supposed she shouldn't care since she was better off for it.

Violet backed into the glassless window of the tower, pretending to be afraid as well. "You need to stop!"

"I've destroyed every one," Snape declared through ragged breaths. "Every last one but _you._ "

She knew what he was talking about. Horcruxes.

 _They were in Tom's room next to Dumbledore's office, the one place Sirius didn't go. For all her godfather knew, she was sound asleep in her own bed, not giggling while Tom was nibbling on her neck. As soon as they hit the pillows, an Extendable Ear attached itself to their ears. Tom must have charmed them to do so in order for him to efficiently spy on Dumbledore. Violet paused as she heard the Order Meeting below._

 _"She-she's not corrupting_ _ **him**_ _," Sirius said incredulously. "Are you out of your mind, Dumbledore?"_

 _"As the horcruxes are being destroyed, Tom is letting go of the Darkness within him," Dumbledore lectured. "Their bond is allowing him to cling on the Violet's Light, while she seems to be holding onto the Darkness that the horcrux within her has housed."_

 _"Horcrux?" Violet asked. Tom only shushed her._

 _"She's not evil!" Sirius spat, but Violet found herself asking, what if she was? What if she wasn't becoming more confident and in control of her own future? What if she was just_ _ **evil**_ _? "_ _ **He**_ _is evil embodied! And you let him prance around like some common schoolboy!"_

 _"I have always believed that both of them have had an attachment disorder." Dumbledore's voice was emotionless. "However, I always believed that because Violet was capable of love, she would be able to overcome it. It seems that she has given Tom the gift and has left nothing for herself."_

 _Tom ripped both of their Extendable Ears off. "He thinks he's a fucking poet."_

 _"What's a horcrux?" Violet whispered, even though no one was within earshot._

 _"Who cares?" Tom grinned and started to pull down her skirt, but she grabbed his arm. "We'll look into it."_

 _Violet glanced at the door. If Dumbledore was right, she had to make sure Tom was loyal to her, not him. "What if they try to change me back? Back into that pathetic—"_

 _"We'll run away," he whispered in her ear._

 _They then became lost in each other for the rest of the night. Their passion made Tom forget to be bothered with horcruxes, at least he pretended to. The next day, Violet went to the Restricted Section of the library herself. Her research made her believe everything that Dumbledore said._

 _The only problem was she didn't care._

"So I'm next?" Violet taunted. "You just figured killing him would be easier than killing me."

"I wanted to kill you both," Snape said hoarsely. "I'm not waiting for you to become what he once was."

Violet grinned. _"Avada Kedavra!"_

* * *

 _2004_

They ran, of course, Imperiousing Muggles left and right to get what they wanted. They were in London, which had so many witches and wizards that it was impossible for the Ministry to trace them during those first few months before they turned seventeen. Years went by before Tom could close his eyes and not see Snape falling out of that Tower. He had never seen Violet kill someone.

 _"What if they try to change me back? Back into that pathetic—"_

 _"We'll run away," he whispered in her ear._

He regretted that, not because they lived in poverty for the first few years, but because he wanted her back. He wanted the old Violet back even though she was incredibly needy, annoying, and foolish. She was also kind, loving, and brave. Now she was cold.

Or was it him? He was the one who smiled at their neighbors, who loaned them money when they needed to feed their kids. He was the one who clung to her in bed, who waited for her when she was gone for days on end. Now he was incredibly needy, annoying, and foolish.

"Don't go," he said softly one morning. Her look was cold, calculating. She was so far gone that she didn't understand what he was saying.

With a smile, Violet kissed the tip of his nose. "You're right. I'll bring him here."

They sold weapons illegally. That was how they had a halfway decent house now. Because he was a man, and didn't look like he had the strength of a kitten, the local crime boss thought that Violet merely acted as the middle man. She played into it and even wore an apron as she served dinner.

"This is good." Tom didn't even bother to learn the guy's name. Violet must have imperioused him into not bringing any guards. Tom just occasionally drove Violet places and bit his nails in the truck as he hoped and prayed she wouldn't get hurt. She had been letting him do that less and less lately. She didn't trust him to get the job done.

 _"Imperio."_ Violet wrinkled her nose cutely. "You're going to turn yourself in along with all your little henchmen that will only be loyal to you."

"Vi—" She was practically giving this man death sentence.

"And…" She summoned a notebook. "You're going to wire all of your money to us."

Tom said nothing as he watched the man numbly write down whatever Violet asked. They became millionaires overnight, and crime in the area skyrocketed under the civil war between the local gangs. He just wanted her back.

* * *

"Sirius." They found something while cleaning up Grimmauld. Hermione hoped this would change things.

After Violet fled, Sirius told them everything. Hermione had a feeling that something was up, but she had never guessed this. Leave it to Violet to rashly sacrifice her soul.

Recently, Riddle, no _Voldemort,_ started writing to Sirius. He almost sounded like a normal person. The thought made the hair on the back of Hermione's neck stand up. He asked if there was any hope for Violet but never gave up their location, as sick as it was. Hermione knew in her heart that Violet was the reason for all the Muggle gang wars in London. How many people were dying because of her need for power?

But that wasn't what Hermione was going to talk to Sirius about, for once. She held up a ring that was dangling on a silver chain. "We found this with Kreacher."

Violet just wanted to feel safe. That's what Tom told himself as she hired guards to take her everywhere she went, but he knew better. She was waiting for all the local gangs to weaken, so she could take over and monopolize crime in Muggle London. How many people would she ruthlessly kill like she did Snape?

* * *

He was alone again when he got the letter. He vaguely remembered Hermione from school.

 _Riddle,_

 _I had to hex Sirius into a stupor to send this, so you better read it. I know you aren't going to give her up. You're too selfish, but now that the last horcrux is destroyed, I have a plan. You can kill her without giving her up._

 _Snape was a Death Eater. One of your followers. Vernon's death was ruled an accident. No one cared about Pettigrew's demise either. Umbridge was never found. We all know what happened, but we'll let it go if you're willing to put an end to this._

 _I'm sure you've done research on yourself. You know what you have done, and you know it is what Violet will one day do as well._

 _Meet me at the enclosed address tomorrow at noon._

 _Hermione Granger_

* * *

Tom brought his wand, telling himself that he'd kill her if necessary, even if he knew he wouldn't. Something was wrong with him like it was with Violet.

It didn't matter because Granger handed him a box and left. Tom opened it with shaking hands. A basilisk tooth and a vile filled clear liquid. He read the note and knew it would work. He just had to kill Violet.

* * *

"To what to I owe the wining and dining?" Violet asked as Tom kissed her. He had been distant over the years, so this was rather refreshing.

Tom forced himself to smile as they backed into the bed. Something was off about him, but she certainly didn't expect him to swiftly stab her in the chest.

She shrieked, becoming more alarmed as thick black smoke billowed out of her mouth. Her skin was cracking as she reached for her wand, but it was already too late. Bright light burned her retinas, and the last thing she heard was the warble of a phoenix.

* * *

Violet woke up in a puddle dried puddle of her own blood, which was so dark it was nearly black. Her hazy vision cleared to see Tom sitting at the foot of their bed with Fawkes perched on his knee. The last ten years felt like a dream. What had she done?

"The look on your face says that it worked," he said softly. Fawkes must have believed whatever he was talking about because the bird started singing and flew out the open window. "For a second…"

"I… I killed people," she gasped. Shaking fingers grazed over where the basilisk tooth had lodged itself into her chest. Nothing was there, not even a scar. She should be dead. She deserved to be dead. "Snape, Umbridge, Pettigrew… My uncle. Oh my God!"

Tom shifted and crawled over to the bed so they were face to face. "Well your uncle was me. Even though you thought you were making me."

She had. She was becoming Voldemort. That evil was encapsulating her soul. Tom's was in shredded into so many pieces. She supposed hers was now too. Violet shot out of bed, wanting to run. She didn't know where. Part of her wanted to throw herself at the nearest dementor—

Violet shrieked when her hand touched a patch of sunlight, and her skin started to burn and smoke. "W-what do you do to me?"

"Well I wasn't about to kill you," Tom said calmly. "The wine from last night had vampire venom in it. So after your heart stopped… and started again, Fawkes was able to fix you up before it well, stopped again."

"I-I deserve to die." All she had to do was rip open the shades and bask in the sunlight. Then, she would be a pile of dust. She'd be nothing, like she deserved.

But she didn't move. Tom smirked, guessing her thoughts, and caressed her cheek. "They say phoenix tears can cure anything."

"That's not going to work." Violet swallowed heavily. She was very thirsty, but she wasn't going to give in. Not to _that_.

Tom merely shrugged. Like it was nothing. She had to become a monster to stop acting like one. "You'll live longer. You can still eat. We can still have children. A unicorn horn ring will let you go out in the sun. So what?"

"SO WHAT?" she shouted. She could hear his heart beating, pumping blood throughout his body. "Don't act like this is nothing! How could you do this to me? You should—"

"What?" he snapped. "Just let you die?"

"Yes." Her voice cracked. "Look at all I've done. And what? We're just going to have a regular life now? Like all the evil we've both done doesn't matter?"

"I couldn't let you go." He thinned his lips. After everything, he still hated to admit weakness. "I needed you."

"We should turn ourselves in." Again, she didn't move. "We both deserve the Kiss."

"Oh really?" He starting kissing her, and Violet found herself sinking deeper into the white sheets. He was manipulating her. What if this whole time he was pretending to have changed? Voldemort had enough evil to consume two people. It was going to start all over again. Just as she was about to push him away, he backed off. "You saved my life. I don't care what we do to set things right, but… I want a life with you. A real life that isn't taken over by greed and power lust."

There was no setting this right. Could she really live with this guilt for the rest of her life? The Kiss would make everything easier. She wouldn't have to feel anything.

"I don't know what to do," she confessed.

Tom cupped her face in his hands. "We'll figure it out."

* * *

 _Ten Years Later…_

They couldn't save the world, obviously. As Dumbledore said, all Light had Darkness to it. The only thing they could do was try to add more Light to it.

Right now they had no children in their house. The adopted child they had just went off to college. Both of them managed Muggle group homes. Violet's had ten girls. His had eight boys, but another was due to arrive soon. It was Violet's idea. She said she wanted to spend the rest of her life saving little Tom Riddle's.

Today, they were going to meet another child. One they were considering adopting. Actually, considering was not strong enough a word. Violet said they weren't leaving without starting the paperwork.

"I'm mad," the boy said flatly as they had their first visit at a nearby McDonald's.

"Did they mess up your burger?" Violet asked lightly, even though she knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to scare them away. It might work. With Muggles anyway.

"I can make things move without touching them." He paused, waiting for their reaction. "Once, I even flew onto the roof."

Tom leaned forward and lowered his voice. "We can too."

"I don't believe you," he said in the same dull tone. Violet smiled softly and made his toy levitate out of its box. His eyes widened as he caught it, but otherwise, he didn't react. "I hurt people too."

"We're going to adopt you," Violet said firmly. "So you don't have to do that anymore."

The boy raised his eyebrows, sizing her up. Tom made that mistake before. All those years ago, when he was first reborn. Now she was a vampire and ten times stronger. He didn't say anything and started to eat again.

They had three years before he would go off to Hogwarts. He was going to need a lot of magical psychological care, and Tom was sure that he was going to magically assault the both of them. But they were going to dedicate all their time to him. They were going to make sure he was safe and knew he had a family, so he didn't have to hurt anyone anymore.

He was going to have what neither of them grew up with. They both were starved of it, so much so that Tom had rejected it, and Violet had desperately begged for it. They were going to give him love.

 **So… I like the ending. The rest may have been better in my head… ;)**

 **Thank you to all the reviewers of chapter 3: A-Ravenclaw-Demigoddess, bulldoglover01, semantics, Child of Dreams, Nataly SkyPot, Lola, D C JoKeR H S, LokiGirl, Megafan1, FenneHP, and Faery66!**

 **bulldoglover01: Sorry. :P I was thinking of just making it a two shot to leave it up to interpretation. Unfortunately, I'm a sucker for happy endings.**

 **I have a new fem!Harry/Draco story up called** _ **P.S. I Love You**_ **. I think in the summer, I'm going to write a new Violet/Tom story, so look out for that!**


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